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Modi unveils G20 logo, theme with a ‘one world’ push
India’s leadership of G20 represents an opportunity to share the country’s achievements in areas ranging from democracy to digitalisation with the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday as he launched the logo and theme for the G20 presidency, stressing that the responsibility comes at a “time of crisis and chaos in the world”.
India’s leadership of G20 represents an opportunity to share the country’s achievements in areas ranging from democracy to digitalisation with the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday as he launched the logo and theme for the G20 presidency, stressing that the responsibility comes at a “time of crisis and chaos in the world”.
The G20 logo, launched by Modi at a virtual event, juxtaposes the planet earth atop a lotus, the national flower symbolising spirituality, wealth and knowledge. The colours of the logo — saffron, green, white and blue — are derived from the national flag, and the design draws on elements from entries received during a competition organised on the MyGov portal, which received more than 2,000 submissions.
The seven petals of the lotus in the logo signify the seven seas and the coming together of the seven continents for the G20 Summit to be hosted by India in New Delhi during September 9-10, 2023.
The logo also reflects India’s “pro-planet approach”, and the theme — “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth, One Family, One Future” — is drawn from the ancient Sanskrit text of the Maha Upanishad and affirms the value of all life, human, animal, plant and microorganisms, and their interconnectedness. The theme further spotlights the LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) concept that is based environmentally sustainable and responsible choices.
Addressing the launch ceremony, Modi said India’s cultural heritage going back thousands of years has taught the country to envision global progress as it strives for its own progress. India’s achievements in many fields can be useful to other countries, he said, speaking in a mix of Hindi and English.
“The world is going through the after-effects of a disruptive once-in-a-century pandemic, conflicts and lot of economic uncertainty. The symbol of the lotus in the G20 logo is a representation of hope in these times. No matter how adverse the circumstances, the lotus still blooms,” Modi said.
“Even if the world is in a deep crisis, we can still progress and make the world a better place. In Indian culture, both the Goddess of knowledge and prosperity are seated on a lotus. This is what the world needs most today. Shared knowledge that helps us overcome our circumstances, and shared prosperity that reaches the last person at the last mile,” he added.
The seven lotus petals in the logo also represent the number of notes in the universal language of music. “In music, when the seven notes come together, they create perfect harmony. But each note has its own uniqueness. Similarly, G20 aims to bring the world together in harmony while respecting diversity,” the PM said.
Modi is set to attend this year’s G20 Summit to be hosted by Indonesia in the resort of Bali during November 15-16, and India will take over the presidency of the grouping of the world’s 20 largest economies from December 1.
India’s experience in various fields, including progress in women’s empowerment and inclusion through schemes such as Jan Dhan accounts and Mudra, will be a “big help to the world” and India’s G20 presidency will be “an important medium to take all these successful campaigns to the world”, Modi said.
“The way India has used digital technologies for development, inclusion, eradicating corruption, ease of doing business, ease of governance and increasing ease of living — all these are models, templates for developing countries,” he added.
The world sees solutions to all its challenges in India’s standing as a “rich and living democracy”, its diversity, indigenous approach, inclusive thinking, local lifestyle and global thoughts. Democracy can help end conflicts and assure all human beings that progress and nature can go hand in hand, the Prime Minister said.
The G20 presidency is not limited to the central government, and all state governments, political parties and citizens should play a role in ensuring the success of the event, Modi said. “This event is organised by us Indians. G20 is a great opportunity for us to see our tradition of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’. Events related to G20 will not be limited to Delhi or a few places only.”
India will host some 200 meetings related to the finance and sherpa tracks across the country ahead of the G20 Summit and these will focus on a range of issues, from new digital payment methods, including virtual assets and cryptocurrencies, to international financial architecture, sustainable finance, infrastructure and climate financing, and tax matters.
The members of G20 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union. India has included Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and the UAE as guest countries during its presidency.
